June, 2011

This is where a conclusion is suggested based solely on something or someone’s origin rather than its current meaning or context. This fallacy can be broken down into two sections (a) It’s a line of reasoning in which a perceived fault in the origin of a claim is taken to be evidence that discredits the claim itself. (b) It is also a line of reasoning in which the origin of a claim is...

The answer is NO! Science cannot account for everything! There are a good number of things that cannot be scientifically proven but are all rational to accept. 1) Logical and mathematical truths cannot be proven using science. Science presupposes logical and maths. Using science to prove logic and maths would cause circular reasoning. 2) Metaphysical truths such as: a. The acceptance of minds...

This is an argument whose conclusion is simply not relevant to its premise. Such fallacies include: The genetic fallacy The ad hominem fallacy Irrelevant thesis Straw-man Several types of faulty appeals

This is when a position is claimed to be true simply because it has not been proven false. For example: “There must be life in out space. No one has ever proven that there isn’t“. Just because no one has been able to disprove a claim does not mean the claim is true. An appeal to ignorance can always be rebutted by an appeal to ignorance. You can respond by saying “There...

This is a subclassification of the faulty appeal to authority. This fallacy is committed when someone argues that a position must be true because a majority of people believe it. The appeal to the majority is often combined with the “appeal to the one“; this is when someone appeals to a majority of expects saying “How could all those scientists be wrong about...